Dearest
by Angelight
Summary: [HU?] Controversy: HiiroUsagi … couple or pure idiocy? An experiment: minimal out of character-ness, benevolent Mamoru and Relena – would the couple still work?
1. Prologue: Watch Your Back

Disclaimer: I don't own either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon … see notes at bottom for further disclaimers.

This is an experiment … Over the period of my … erm … career [lol] of supporting Usagi/Hiiro, I've read various lists giving reasons why it should exist and why the world would stop spinning if it does exist [some good and some not xD]. So … we'll see what happens with minimum manipulation of personalities … o.o;; Lol. No, that is not a challenge to non Usagi/Hiiro advocates. --; [I like Minako/Hiiro … o.o;;; and Ami/Hiiro … Rei/Hiiro kind of scares me though … lol … and I haven't read enough of Mako/Hiiro to develop a profound interest … Hotaru/Hiiro strikes me as kind of strange … I'm completely behind Haruka/Michiru … and Setsuna/Hiiro can be veryvery … enlightening … if written correctly. xD]

It's very difficult for me to keep these characters as they are … [a veryvery well pulled off one would be Jemjol-san's Awaiting Good Fortune … but she up and left to go to Japan … ;-; Comeeee baaaaacckkkk!!!] So pleaseplease feel free to comment and tell me where I messed up. After all, I haven't seen Sailor Moon since … o.o;;; 

Mamoru and Relena are present and definitely possible [well, in Mamoru's case, certain] love interests … the senshi and pilots will hopefully be kept as much in character as well.

The setting is a blending of both worlds – the senshi past exists, the ESUN and colonies exist, the pilots' past exists. xD I suppose since the modern-day cities are still there … we're more likely in the 21st century than 3rd century A.C. --; But it makes no difference.

One discrepancy – Hiiro's character. There is the widespread belief that he is an unfeeling, inhumane machine. Lol. I admit I'm keeping to that characterization more so than the one in Gundam Wing … where he seems insane … lol. But trust me, insanity will come into play. xD [Dr. J said Hiiro was actually a very kind-hearted boy in Gundam Wing … O.O;;; ::cringecringe:: xD].

Enjoy~! And remember: **experiment**!!! As in not-guaranteed-to-work … whichever side you're supporting. xD

Dearest: Prologue

…………………

The phone shrilled for the third time as Hiiro glared daggers at Duo's raised eyebrows. He snatched it up before it had time to finish the fourth and, scowling, said, "Microsoft support services. How may I help you? [1]"

Duo gave a violent start and choked on the bagel he had snagged from one of the unconscious guards lying outside. 

There was a pause on the other side of the line before a masculine voice hastily stuttered out, "I-I-I must have the wrong number."

Duo quirked a grin at Hiiro's vastly unamused face after returning the phone to its cradle and let out a peal of giggles. "That was smooth, buddy. Real smooth." 

"Business first." Hiiro sat down in front of a display and started tapping out combinations of letters and numbers, fingers moving in a blur. 

_Access denied_ flashed up several times on the screen before, on his twelfth try, Hiiro cracked the code and stuck the floppy disk into the computer, downloading the necessary material. 

Duo gaped at him as he did this. He wasn't surprised at Hiiro's adroit abilities in overcoming the code system but rather that his buddy had actually picked up the phone. 

Something like this had never happened in his history of infiltrating. That is to say, nobody had ever called while he was hacking into OZ's mainframe. 

"I can't believe you did that, buddy."

Hiiro didn't turn around. "What did you expect me to do? Alert the rest of OZ that all is not well in their Kanto Plain [2] base?"

Duo shrugged and grinned carelessly. "See it as you will but that was classic."

The floppy zipped back out and Hiiro grabbed it, stuffing it into his pocket. He turned around menacingly. 

Duo gulped and zipped toward the nearest exit.

…………………

"Usako…"

"Mamo-chan…"

"Miss Tsukino…"

Her eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown as she blinked at Mamoru. "Mamo-chan…?"

"Excuse me, Miss Tsukino, but you may not refer to me as _Mamo-chan_."

"M-M-M-"

Her eyes opened in small slits of bright cerulean as she looked up slowly, catching sight of a long, pleated skirt, simple blouse, and two dark eyes burning holes into her forehead. 

Usagi screamed.

"Miss Tsukino! What have I told you about sleeping in my class? This is it!" Miss Haruna jerked Usagi out of her seat and pushed her toward the door, jabbing a crimson-nailed finger at it. "Out! Out, out, out, out!!!"

"B-bu-but-"

"_Out!!!_" With that, the classroom door slammed in front of her wide, disbelieving eyes. 

"Really, Miss Haruna, you didn't need to be so mean!" she cried at the door before stomping down the hall toward the school's front entrance huffily. 

"A whole day to myself. What is there to do…?" Usagi mused quietly to herself as she strolled along the streets. "There's no way I can afford anything in the arcade … I could always study for tomorrow's test and show Miss Haruna who's boss but…" She felt herself pale. "Who'd want to study on a day like this?" 

"Right! No way am I going to study!" Grinning at her decision, Usagi began to skip along the near-empty sidewalk. Most people were away in school or at work so she could easily avoid the lampposts she occasionally bumped into. She savored her freedom with relish. The bright almost unreal sunlight of the day frolicked in the pigtails attached to two "meatballs" flopping up and down as she skipped. At the moment, Usagi could very well be mistaken for an ecstatic rabbit.

She paused. "Oh, I know! Mamo-chan said he'd be at the fire station to help them reconfigure their computers today … I'll go there!" Mentally congratulating herself for the solution, Usagi resumed her skipping. 

…………………

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi said in a sing-song voice as se skipped into the fire station, tactfully avoiding a teetering man carrying a gargantuan stack of papers and congratulating herself on her newfound sense of poise. So busy was she congratulating that she didn't see Ken [3] until she was sitting on the floor, tasting pain, and staring up at him dizzily.

Some new found poise.

"Mamo-chan…?"

He briefly looked surprised before grinning and pulling her to her feet and calling over his shoulder, "Hey, Mamoru! Your fiancée is here!"

Usagi's jaw dropped. "Uaa!! Nono!! He hasn't proposed yet – well, I want him to – but he says I'm too young and my parents wouldn't approve – not that _I care – stupidparentsstupidparents – but he won't agree – stupidparents – and and-"_

Ken put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "You're red as a beet, Usagi." 

Her eyes widened. "Nooo!! Well, not that I shouldn't be happy but I can't raise my hopes and – stupidparents – I'll be thirty-six when Mamo-cha-"

Ken put his other hand on her shoulder and steadied her, eyeing her strangely. "You're red and you're giggling like a love-struck schoolgirl. Usagi. Get a hold of yourself."

She opened her mouth to protest but reddened further and decided against it.

"Mamoru! Get over here already!" he hollered again. Being around Usagi when she was in this mood made him highly uneasy – her obvious love for Mamoru was so sappy and sweet that it made him want to deny himself sugar for at least eight years.

"Didn't you hear me?" At Ken's puzzled look, Chad rolled his eyes. "I said Mamoru went out with the rest of them to take care of that fire."

"They're _still_ not back?!" Ken abruptly let go of Usagi and looked ready to strangle Chad. "It's been_ three hours_! You idiot! We have to take everybody and go after them!"

"I thought they would call," he protested.

Ken sighed exasperatedly and shot him a suffering look. "Using what? The telephone in the burning house? C'mon, let's go! And bring your cell phone."

"R-right" They rushed to the door, Ken briefly pausing to glance back at a bewildered Usagi.

"Stay here – Ami is in the room with all the computers – she knows basically what to do until we get back."

"A-Ami's here? B-but wh-" He was already gone, sprinting after Chad, before she could finish her sentence.

It took five seconds for Usagi to gather her wits and come to her senses. "Wait! I want to help too!" _Mamo-chan__ is there she added silently. _

Shaking her head, she tried to gulp in deep breaths and calm her hyperventilating nerves. "Ami's here – r-right! I'll go get her and we can go together."

…………………

"Usa? What are you doing here?" The brunette looked up from the computer and met frantic blue eyes placidly.

"We have to go help them! They all went to put out a fire and-"

The phone rang. Ami hesitated and shot Usagi a questioning look before picking it up.

"Call for reinforcements immediately! The fire is _blue! It appears that there's a man in the house and he says-"_

The blank, lifeless dial tone echoed in her ears. Shakily, Ami returned the phone to its original position.

"Ami? Are you okay?"

She looked up at Usagi and cocked her head puzzledly. "He said that there was blue – duck!"

"Blue duck?" Usagi hardly had time to look puzzled before Ami pushed her to the ground and the building began to shake violently. The lights flickered. On, off, onoffonoff—

And on again.

All was eerily quiet.

Ami stood slowly, pulling Usagi up with her. 

"Nothing … happened."

The brunette nodded slowly, fumbling for her pocket computer that had fallen into disuse since last year. "My computer isn't registering anything either."

Usagi sighed heavily. "Just as long as it's over. Let's go find other people."

She nodded, stuffed the computer back into her pocket, and rushed after the blonde.

…………………

The streets were deathly quiet but everything appeared to be in order – the cars were still parked where they were, bicycles still left leaning against buildings. 

"We should head to the arcade."

Usagi nodded silently, agreeing. 

The short blonde peered into nearby homes. The laundry was still hanging outside, drying, as if nothing had happened. The TV was still flickering anime but no one was watching.

The automatic door slid open and she was greeted with the familiar rush of air conditioning. "Motoki! Do you know wha-" She stopped abruptly. 

"Usagi? What's wrong?" Ami glanced in after her and fell silent. 

Nobody was there.

"L-let's go to the school. There's bound to be people there."

Again, Usagi nodded but this time the note of certainty in the air was shaky and fading. 

They passed the Akayashi [4] sisters' makeup shop and Usagi gazed in. Petz [5] had passed away about a year ago in an automobile accident – Usagi had been there. She couldn't and hadn't done anything as Petz's skin paled, her eyes dulled, and her voice cracked – it passed all so quickly. Sighing, she frowned at the store's dark emptiness. It's too late in the afternoon to be time for a lunch break and too early for closing.

A vague, unidentifiable but definitely discomfiting feeling nagged her as Ami and she passed through the doors of Juuban and stepped inside. 

The halls seemed to echo with their quiet footsteps. 

"Mina? Mako? Melvin? Naru?"

Only more echoes answered her.

"Where do you think they went, Ami?" 

No answer. 

"A-Ami?" There was the slightest sound of a footstep. Usagi whirled around and pressed her back against the wall. 

Nobody.

Just as she was berating herself for indulging an overactive imagination, the sound of a short scream broke the dense silence – a scream that did not complete itself before something stopped it forcibly. 

…………………

_Ami, Ami, where are you? _She felt like crying but tried to gulp the bitter lump down. She must be brave, even if her heart was thumping like thunder at her throat and temples, even if she wanted nothing more than to run away, hide, and enfold herself in invisibility's sanctity.

"Ami!" She skidded to a stop, almost missing the opening of the hall.

Fearful indigo eyes turned to her. "Usagi, run!"

The icy, unmistakable feeling of a gun pressed to the back of her neck made all the questions in her throat desiccate and wither.

"Don't move." She fell silent and still, gazing blankly at the four men in front of Ami and the blue-eyed, dark-haired ringleader aiming a gun at Ami's forehead. 

"Identify yourselves," the man behind her ordered, voice soft and faintly contemplative. 

Ami licked her lips nervously, eyeing the exit not ten feet away and eyeing Usagi, calculating the distance and estimating how long the guns would be trained on her if she created a diversion for Usagi. 

"I'm Mizuno Ami … and she is Tsukino Usagi. We're students here."

Usagi bit her lip and gazed pleadingly at the four men she could see. "D-do you know where everybody went?"

Their leader turned Arctic blue eyes to her and carefully replied, "We were hoping you could tell _us_ that."

…………………

"Preventers," Ami muttered as Usagi nodded mutely, tears again coming to her eyes unbidden. They sat, immobile, handcuffed and belted in to the backseat of one of the two cars outside of the school. The leader slid into the driver's seat and the braided agent slid into the passenger one, buckling his seatbelt but not before turning around and winking flirtatiously at the two of them.

Ami looked away quickly. Usagi didn't even notice it through the tears she was trying hard to curb.

The icy-eyed man grabbed the cell phone and dialed a number while pulling the car out and shifting gears. 

"Yuy reporting. The Hong Kong base contacted Agents 1-5 while we were in Tokyo, reporting that a category of shockwave affected all radars and GPS systems drastically at 2:38 and 49 seconds p.m. At 2:39 and 4 seconds, radars and all other equipment returned to normal. We arrived in Juuban Junior High School and found two teenage girls, identified as Tsukino Usagi and Mizuno Ami, who claim that they had nothing to do with it. However, they were the only people we encountered. The town was completely sterile of other humans but nothing was out of order – it was as if people simply took up and left." He hesitated but continued. "It is reported that similar incidents have occurred worldwide, not exclusively the Kanto Plain. We have been notified of this occurring in the neighboring Kansai District, Beijing and Tianjin nexus, South Korea, urbanized Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Damascus, Baghdad, Bombay, Cairo, Tripoli, Timbuktu, Cape Town, London, Milan, Madrid, Vienna, Berlin, Warsaw, Athens, Sierra Leone, Manila, Buenos Aires…"

Usagi stared at the back of his head as the man rattled off city and country names. She felt dread pooling at the bottom of her stomach and gulped. 

"…Caracas, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Santo Domingo, Monterrey, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia, New York City, Seattle, Anchorage, St. Louis, New Orleans, Moscow, and St. Petersburg… [6]" 

She heard the faintest of sighs escape him. "…among others," he finished. 

"The colonies, however, are unharmed," he added slowly. "End report, Yuy out."

The man in the passenger seat shook his head slowly. "The colonies are completely untouched? You think the ESUN will use this as an excuse to start a war?"

"It's not an excuse; it's more than adequate reason. What I wonder is how the ESUN will manage to get enough draftees since a majority of Earth's urban population has disappeared."

Heavy silence resumed.

Glancing at Ami, she met equally fearful eyes and nodded resolutely when Ami mouthed a quick, "Be brave."

…………………

Uaa … it's long-ish. xD And I'm impatient so I posted. I'm setting myself up for a fall in this new year. xD [hopenothopenot] But well … we'll see. xD Thanks for reading~! Yours, Angel.

Notes:

1. Microsoft support services … general idea taken from "one-liner" challenges: - very funny stuff. xD

2. Kanto Plain – Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki nexus

3. Ken – Makoto's "rainy day man" xD Chad is the helper at Rei's temple – I didn't know either of their Japanese names … or Melvin's for that matter … xD [need to look it up…] I believe Melvin's is … Umino? O.o;;; And Chad's is something along the lines of Yuuchirou … ?! I've never even heard Ken being referred to in his Japanese name … --;

4. Akayashi sisters – the four girls under Rubeus during the Black Moon Arc

5. Akayashi Petz – the oldest of the four sisters, Saffiru's [Sapphire's] lover

6. Haha … basically on every continent, _most_ major cities … but not all … ;D 

7. General idea of towns completely empty of people is from Trigun … ::sighs blissfully:: xDxD In Trigun, people are manipulated by Legato to leave and … go somewhere. I don't know where. Lol. 


	2. Take Courage!

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Disclaimer: Don't own either Gundam Wing nor Sailor Moon

Depressing-ness. xD;

…………………

"I really can't imagine how those two can have anything to do with something this horrid on such a massive scale. They both seem so afraid." Quatre trailed off and looked to the side. Hiiro didn't glance up from the computer screen, still tapping away, eyes narrowed and faintly bloodshot. Wufei didn't reply either, continuing to stare fiercely at the floor. 

Trowa stirred. "Famous last words, Quatre," he muttered softly. 

The blonde buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily. "They're only sixteen or seventeen, not even out of high school. What can they know about making almost half of the earth's population disappear? Surely they've never even thought of such an act." His soft voice wavered, fell, and rose again, conveying pretty ideals of triumph, determination, and man's perfectibility. 

Duo grinned and suppressed a yawn, sneaking a glance at the clock. "That's how all our enemies described us, Quatre. That's how everybody described Relena."

Wufei's blank, intense glare at the floor never wavered. "How grossly wrong they were." The words were a breath of air with a paucity of sound. 

"Now, now, Wufei. There's no need to be morbid yet," Trowa chuckled softly and stood up from his leaning position against the closed door. "Hiiro, I'm sure you can handle the rest of the report by yourself. I'm going." 

Quatre and Duo stared after him. Hiiro barely acknowledged the quiet words, deafening and echoing in the breathless silence. 

Duo cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I suppose I'll go get some rest too." He hesitated and shot a questioning look at Quatre who nodded cordially. "Tomorrow will prove to be an interesting day."

"Interesting, huh?" Quatre whispered at Duo's retreating form. 

"It depends on your definition of interesting, doesn't it?" Wufei finally forfeited his battle of wills with the carpet and stood up. "You'll stay with him, Winner?"

"Yes, go ahead and sleep."

Wufei's facial expression remained bland but his eyes narrowed as he headed for the door. "Who said anything about sleep?"

…………………

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," Ami pondered softly, pacing the length of the hotel-like bedroom Usagi and she were directed to shortly after their arrival. Five minutes had passed since she checked the door and scanned the security system that laced the entire building. Half an hour had passed since Usagi had spoken a word. 

"In the past, Tokyo always seemed to be the only target." She bit her lip and thought harder, trying to keep her phrases and words ambiguous. There was no doubt in her mind that various, immensely sophisticated devices were planted around the room, like nodes in a information system. 

"I can't imagine why the two of us were exempt from the disappearances. It would have made a bit more sense if the rest of the girls were with us." She paused and frowned. "Or was this all an accident? Should we consider ourselves lucky that the two of us remained?" Ami glanced up at Usagi and sighed noiselessly. The blonde was still sitting on the bed, in the same position as half an hour ago, arms wrapped around knees that were pulled to her chest, eyes downcast and still, proof that blue was indeed the color of mourning. 

Ami struggled to continue. "This new enemy must be powerful … and clever. It knows how to turn our own world against us. Our only advantage is that it doesn't know who we are." She halted abruptly and sat on the bed. "This battle will prove to be formidable." She reached over and hugged Usagi to her, trying to calm the tremors that had afflicted the blonde for the past half-hour. 

"We must be brave, Usagi. And we must make our moves carefully," she whispered. Ami narrowed her eyes at her own quivering hands and clenched them tightly.

…………………

Hiiro frowned at the computer screen, mulling over the circuitous and inconclusive report. There was so little information. But that'll change after tomorrow. He turned the volume on the headset up and thinned his lips. 

"Yes, Mizuno Ami, you will have to make your moves carefully."

…………………

The room was warm, and Ami was breathing deeply beside her, lost in sleep. Usagi shuddered and breathed on her icy fingertips, not cognizant of anything other than her own world of desolate winter. She clutched briefly at the broach at her chest and tugged it off gently, willing it to open. The crystal glimmered innocently up at her, glowing faintly, as if Queen Serenity herself was smiling calmly up at her from within. 

"I'm so scared," she whispered quietly. Usagi sighed and closed her eyes. The scalding truth that had been simmering ever since the day she brought home a strange, battered black cat was finally boiling ebulliently, forcing its way up her throat. 

"I can't do this. I can't do anything by myself," she sighed softly. "I'm not smart like Ami, brave like Rei, strong like Mako, or charismatic like Mina. I'm not noble like Mamo-chan, and Princess Serenity is nothing more than a mottled memory of perfection." She bowed her head. "I'm just Tsukino Usagi, a rabbit, not a queen or a senshi. So … so…" She gulped the tears back down, remembering her silent promise to Ami's plea for courage. "…help me, please. Help me to save these people and avoid war. You are my only source of strength now." She pressed the crystal to her cold fingertips and marveled at the slight translucency of flesh. 

"Please … please help me to protect those dearest to me. This time not as Sailor Moon nor Princess Serenity but as Tsukino Usagi."

…………………

Inside the efficiently moving car, it was deathly silent. The same two men were escorting them to something that was only mentioned in vague, broad terms, but from the grim expressions and heavy silence, Ami easily inferred it wasn't going to be anything particularly enjoyable. 

At least, not enjoyable for Usagi and her.

Hiiro cleared his throat, signaling left and changing lanes without glancing back. There was no need to. The highway to the airport was soullessly empty. 

"There is a private plane at the airport. Trowa will be flying it," he told them briefly. Ami looked up and almost smiled. Here it comes: the nectar of information. 

"We are heading for Harbin, located in the Heilongjiang province of China. It is one of the still populated metropolises. There, a short press conference will be held in which you will be asked about your involvement in the mass disappearances."

Duo picked up from there. "Afterwards, we will head to the Preventers' HQ in that city and conduct some further tests." 

"I see," Ami replied softly. 

"I believe it is still quite cold in Harbin this time of year. We have extra clothing for you to wear if the need arises," Hiiro added. 

"That is kind of you," Usagi smiled, relieved. 

Duo turned and grinned at her. "We're not trying to be kind."

…………………

The instant they stepped out into the bright lights of the stage, the crowd of reporters surged forward, barely held back by hesitant guards. Usagi flinched and shakily sat down in the seat Quatre pulled out for her. Ami situated herself to the right of her. 

They were like two wounded lambs thrown into a pack of wolves delirious from bloodlust. 

Trowa cleared his throat and sat to the left of Usagi, leaning forward. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we will now begin accepting questions. Please do not ask until I point to you." 

There was the flurry of motion as cameras flashed and arms flailed, searching for paper and pencil, recorders and tapes. 

"Miss Mizuno, Miss Tsukino. How old are you?"

Usagi meekly reached for the microphone and gulped. "Seventeen."

"Seventeen."

A general roar resonated in the room as all incredulous eyes turned from notepads to the two girls up front. 

"Can you explain why you two were the only two to survive?"

Ami sighed. "No."

"If the two of you truly didn't commit the crime, can you think of somebody who did?"

Usagi bit her lip and gritted her teeth, locking away the tears that were burning at her throat. "No."

"How did the two of you commit the crime?"

The noise in the room was reduced to nil. The small shuffles of reporters and the quiet sound of cloth against cloth echoed supernaturally in the room. 

"We didn't," Ami replied firmly.

The room roared back to life.

…………………

"Well, that was an entertaining show." Duo beamed at the two tired faces behind him as they headed toward the Preventers' building. "In your situations, what's left of the world would either consider the two of you heroes or villains." Duo paused. "They seem to be leaning toward the latter at the moment."

Ami pursed her lips and turned to look out the window. Usagi was silent. 

"Come now, don't be depressed. They can't kill you until they get what they want out of you. And they're not even close to getting what they want." Duo turned back in his seat and shrugged at the two girls' silence. "Being depressed will simply waste what's left of your life. It's a good way to think. It makes you enjoy and cherish life, even at a time like this." He glanced at Hiiro and then out into the side mirror to catch a glimpse of the two girls in the back. "Every moment is precious. Savor it. Especially since now you might not have much of it le-"

"Quiet, Duo."

The braided Preventer looked up questioningly at his comrade and frowned. Hiiro's hands were grasping the steering wheel so tightly that the veins at his wrists stood out with sickly prominence. 

"They are asleep. Let them enjoy what is left."

…………………

Whew! What a relief! xD It's depressing. :P I couldn't stop being depressing. --; [I was sleepy the whole time while typing this … haha xD] And after watching significant amounts of Naruto … angst becomes a part of you. xD This chapter was difficult … --; I haven't come up with anything beyond a very general plotline for this … and this chapter was completely unplanned and extemporaneous [to some degree … xD] I felt like I was wondering around in Siberia without a map. xD;; It's very cold in the room right now. O.O;; Another factor that led to angst. xD; That's it! Hope you enjoyed it~ Yours, Angel.   


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Corrections:

1. Ayakashi sisters … not Akayashi sisters like I said last chapter. --; I don't know what I was on. xD;; [I typed it that way three times!!! ;-;]

2. According to the wonderful people that helped me/gave me sites, Ken is Shinozaki, Chad is Yuuichirou, and Melvin is Umino. :D Not that I think they'll be mentioned again anytime soon … but it feels so much more official. xD Thank you! 

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Ashika: Thanks for the website. :D Get on aim more often!!! xDxD 

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Sailor Grape: Yes … work … ::stabs the word:: xD Thank you!! You're so encouraging … ;-; Actually … I don't think any of the senshi/Mamoru would have sat still had there been a fire and they'd been at the fire station. xD; And the highlighting and hitting "d" for the definition is so convenient. xD;;; Ingenious! How does it work? O.O;; I hope I continue to surprise you. ::cackles:: xD And happy a-month-too-late New Year to you too! xDxD

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ProjectGenesis: Lol. The name Shinozaki was completely unfamiliar to me too. xD I've never read a fic in which Ken was called that. --; [shows how well-read I am… :3] 

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Lady in Red1: Yesyes … it's kind of annoying when that happens … to be mild. xD;; And my hands feel as if they're about to fall off … not that I can feel them anymore … xDxD 

**LiLSeReNiTiE****:** Lol. Thank you! xD I still don't know for certain if it'll work … o.o;; [romance progresses so slowly … --;] And if I feel like I'm about to fail the experiment, I think I'll definitely hand it off to somebody more talented. xD;;

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Transcendent: Heh heh … describing Ami as being a brunette was a strange habit I picked up from reading mind-numbing amounts of Crystal Heart [she's a SM author from … wow … so long ago … ^^;] I don't know … after that it seemed kind of strange to say "blue-haired girl" xD;; It's a strange habit. As for "indigo" … I have a tendency to use the various blues as all synonyms for blue. xD;; But … is indigo more of a blue-violet? O.O;; And Zacariah … O.O;;; Wow. I want to read it now. xD Thanks for your interest despite the coupling~ :D

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Dark Universe: O.O;; Mysterious? xD;; Thanks for the review. :D

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Adrelliehs: Lol … I really hope I do keep surprising people … o.o;; [not going to happen … but worth a shot. :D] 

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Datajana: Happy New Year to you too! xD;; [that was so long ago! What happened to all the time? ;-;] 

Sunshine Fia: The TV show where everyone's weird? Lol. Everything will be explained … hopefully … just … perhaps in the veryvery distant future. xD;; And I'm striving to bring Mamoru back … lol … because I don't think it'd be being very true to the experiment if I didn't. xD;

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Lethargic Gackt Camui: [you changed your penname again! O.o;;] Yesyes, in a way, I truly agree with you. I'd always imagined that making a couple or relationship work was more so based on the author's ability to manipulate circumstances or accentuate certain aspects of a character's personality. O.o;; And, yes, I can see Hiiro with almost anybody. xD; I don't know … I feel like I've never given much in-depth thought to the possibility of Hiiro/Usagi. xD;; And Vash _is_ very cool. Lol.

Koldy: LOL! Reading your reviews amuse me so much. xD;;

Liquid Ice: Lol. Yupyup. Like I said to Gackt-san. xD I've always imagined making a couple work as the author's job … and shows the author's ability to manipulate/create settings and situations for the two that will work out credibly. xD;; And yes, I am obsessed with Trigun. Lol. As for choosing Ami … ::rubs hands together:: But I don't think any true explanation will be presented for a looooonnng time. :DDD

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Heero's Bunny: Lol … you sound hyper. :3 Thanks for the names. :D And for the … theories. xD;; 

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Tenshi-Hotaru: Thank you for Ken's name! :D Andand … thank you in general! xD 

Twiggirl06: Lol. It's an attempted Hiiro/Usagi fic. :D

Darlana: Is a month considered "forever"? :3

****

Dark-spiritwolf: Thanks for the name~ :D

****

Remember~!: Feel free to criticize me about my characterization of various characters whenever you see the need!!! That is the point of the experiment! They MUST be in character! xD;; Somehow I feel as if … Usagi's character isn't as great as it could be … and neither is Ami's … nor Hiiro's for the matter … ::grabs head in frustration:: The three main parts … and I mess those up the most. ;-; Suggestions pleasepleaseplease!!! :D 


	3. I am Sailor Moon

Disclaimer: No GW/SM. [they're getting so concise! xD;;]

Warnings: It's so … boring, awkward, happy, and feel-good-ey. xD;; It makes me sick. Lol. (no, really. xD)

**Chapter 2: I am Sailor Moon** [overdone and overused, yes, but it fits. :D]

…………………

Hiiro frowned as he stopped the tape, rewound, and hit play again. 

"…protect those dearest to me. This time not as Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity but as Tsukino Usagi."

Stop, rewind, play.

"…this time not as Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity…"

Stop, rewind, play.

"…Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity…"

"…Sailor M-"

He yanked the headset off and sighed frustratedly. 

Sailor Moon? The short-skirted pop icon that male fans fantasized over? The "love and peace" lecturing heroine who seemed, with her fellow "senshi" to be stuck in happy-happy land? 

Just the thought was disturbing.

After all, for the longest time, he had agreed with the rest of the ESUN, excluding the people of Tokyo, of course, that Sailor Moon was nothing more than an urban legend, a hoax created by the Japanese police force to gain popularity and a ruse espoused by the leeching advertising industry.

It wasn't unheard of. Anything was possible, especially in expansive and decadent Tokyo, reportedly the city with the most active sex industry. [1]

Hiiro sighed again and leaned back in his seat, headset littered carelessly on the floor beside him. 

_What is this world coming to?_

…………………

"Not so good news," Trowa greeted glumly as Duo walked into the room.

"Yeah, good morning to you, too," he muttered in reply, rubbing his eyes tiredly and sticking his tongue out half-heartedly. 

Wufei followed not long after him and took a moment to survey the room. Yui was still stuck up in the office and it was questionable whether or not he had slept. It was only around six in the morning and already Winner looked ready to have a breakdown, Barton shooting him periodic, worried looks. In fact, the only thing that wasn't surprising was that Maxwell was dozing off at the breakfast table.

_Idiot,_ he thought contemptuously. 

"So what's the bad news?" he offered as he sat down but didn't reach for the food. 

Quatre bit his lip and seemed to barely suppress the desire to wring his hands. "Chicago has locked itself in. They have stationed a substantial number of guards and have planted land mines around the entire city. Nobody can get in without their consent – they issued a threat early this morning that if any planes or helicopters were to approach them, they would not hesitate to use anti-aircraft missiles." 

Wufei sneered. "As if that will keep them safe."

Duo was now wide awake. "So? What does one city moronically subjecting itself to isolation at a time like this have any immense impact on us?"

"If it were _just_ Chicago, it wouldn't be that big of a problem," Trowa started slowly. "However, there have been demonstrations in various other cities supporting the idea of complete isolation. Of the some fifty urban areas left, there have already been seventeen that are seriously deliberating whether or not to model themselves after Chicago."

"Let them have at it. If they all blockade themselves, we won't even have to stay on this cursed planet," Wufei sneered. 

"And let them suffer like defenseless sheep?"

All four turned to Hiiro at the door. 

Wufei scowled. "Well, they're certainly acting with the _intelligence_ of sheep."

"There is also a wild rush from the peripheral areas to these cities," Trowa continued, unperturbed, as Hiiro walked over and sat down. "Already, five people have been shot down while attempting to enter Chicago."

Hiiro frowned. "It is impossible to maintain this kind of isolation. Rural and urban, it's a symbiotic relationship. Sooner or later the urban areas will run out of food."

"That's not the only problem, huh? The colonies can't reach Earth if each city activated their anti-aircraft missiles. That'll make things even more difficult – there will be no communication … Earth might even resort to war. And with so few people left here … it'd be like a massacre!" Duo stared down at the floor and suddenly looked up as if an idea struck him. "How many people of the ESUN are still present? Is the President fine? Relena?"

For the first time since Duo had entered the room, Quatre's face relaxed into a smile. "Mr. President was on a campaign to gain rural support so he is fine. Miss Relena and various other key persons were in the colonies trying to rally up cooperation for a universal free trade organization."

"What a relief," Duo sighed, his shoulders slumping and his head falling to his chest, bangs playfully brushing against his cheeks. 

"Don't be relieved yet," Trowa cautioned softly, voice splintering the unconvincing moment of optimism

…………………

"They're already awake," Ami whispered as Usagi cracked one eyes open. "But good news – based on various clues, I think we're at one of Quatre Winner's getaways. It's close to Harbin, so this is probably the Bing Ta manor."

"Bing…Ta?"

Ami shrugged and gazed out the window. "It means 'Ice Tower' in Chinese. I think the snow stays on the ground for almost half a year in this part of China."

"Some getaway," Usagi giggled. Ami started at the sound and turned around. 

"It's good that you're laughing again." She smiled. The room seemed brighter. "They say laughter is the best medicine."

…………………

"Chicago isn't our only problem, is it?" That familiar but still awful sinking feeling made Duo's stomach churn. 

"Unfortunately, no," Trowa admitted. "This mass disappearing of people has been seen by some fanatics as a prelude to Armageddon-esque event. A number of priests have been planning large and widespread rebellions against what they think the faults of society are." [2]

"Yes," Quatre continued waveringly, "they think the disappearances are a signal from Heaven and soon fire will burn away the rest of Earth's excesses."

"That's insane! Are they saying that the only two people deemed worthy of Heaven so far are those two girls?" Duo looked ready to jump up onto the table and denounce Christianity. "Surely they're not serious! What about the colonies?"

"Prelude to Armageddon, Maxwell, _prelude_."

Duo shot him an uncharacteristic glare. "Oh shut up, Wufei."

"Please…please, no fighting," Quatre sighed exasperatedly. 

"It's only to be expected. History has always been entwined with religion." Hiiro shot Duo a stern look and averted his eyes from Quatre's bowed head. The sun was just beginning to rise. Spring was still two months away.

"The opiate of the masses." Trowa looked vaguely amused. "We've already identified the hurdles. What's our next move, Hiiro?"

…………………

"Are you feeling better?" Ami asked warmly as she clicked away proficiently on her mini-computer, not even needing to look down. 

Usagi nodded and smiled. "I'm sorry for being such a wimp lately. I really … it's just my natural reaction."

Ami laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry. I know you well enough by now. Feeling up to the challenge, then?"

From her sitting position on the bed, Usagi attempted an aggressive countenance. "Of course. You are, after all, looking at the girl who defeated countless invaders of Earth." The expression dissolved and she cracked up. "Of course, there was no way I could have done it without all of you." She smiled guiltily. "I probably would have ended up running away and hiding under my bed. Sticking another bandage over Luna's crescent mark." [3]

Ami blushed. "It's what we want to do: protect you."

The blonde sighed and leaned back on her arms. "Still. I can't imagine how you all do it. Surrendering your lives for so … so…well, so _simple _a belief."

"Immaterial?"

"Huh?" Usagi blinked.

Ami smiled. "The word you were looking for?"

She laughed sheepishly. "Right. See what I mean? You are all so amazing, so talented! Truthfully … truthfully," she looked down and away from Ami, "I feel so insignificant next to you guys. And sometimes when I pause to think, Rei's words about me are completely true. I am a crybaby, an overgrown child, and a scaredy-cat. And I'm immature and lose my temper easily. Lord! I still fall asleep in class everyday! And I'm in high school already!"

"But that's you, Usagi. The you that we all know. Sure your grades are," Ami flinched, "abysmal, but you've improved! We've all improved because of each other. Every one of us."

Usagi shook her head but grinned. "Sometimes I really want to give up being Sailor Moon, the Moon Princess. Every once in awhile, I would wake up one morning and think everything, the past two or so years, was all a dream. You know, I thought Minako was the Moon Princess when we first met her. She was so … so …" Usagi shrugged and made a face, "Moon Princess-ey."

Ami sighed and made a mental note to help Usagi work on her vocabulary. "But you saved us. You saved us all … so many times. And that is why we accept you wholeheartedly as our leader, despite that you can, admittedly, be quite a baby sometimes and can be somewhat insecure and clingy. We understand and we-" Ami started and stared at her computer screen as it started emitted high-pitched beeps.  
  


"What is it?"

"The beeps mean that it detects unusual amounts of energy in the area that I tell it to scan…"

The strident alarm faded away, and Ami shook her head slowly. "I don't know. Maybe a malfunction." Usagi looked convinced, but Ami frowned to herself. Mercurian computers simply _don't_ malfunction. 

…………………

"Do you think we should call for more people to come?" Duo asked anxiously. "It seems pretty horrible down here already. And it's only going from bad to worse."

They all turned to Hiiro who, after a pause, shook his head firmly. "It would be useless. We're the most capable agents the ESUN has right now. Anybody else here would just be a hindrance."

Wufei arched an eyebrow. "But then the girls? And how do you propose we monitor all the continents? All the countries?"

"We don't. We wait for news via the colonies' satellites." Hiiro's voice betrayed only slight annoyance at Wufei's objection. "And the girls…Lady Une wanted us to keep them close by at all times. But we should not expend too much energy guarding them. They're harmless." He paused and wondered if he'd come to regret those words. "Though it'd be wise not underestimate them. I don't have to remind you all that looks can be deceiving."

Nobody demurred. They were all living proof of that hackneyed but true idea.

"And the Chicago syndrome, the Armageddon rebellions will be put off until something more conclusive happens," Trowa added. Hiiro gave a slight nod of agreement.

 "Until this is resolved or stable, we must remain on Earth, right? To keep all communication open. The worst mistake we can make at this point is to head back to the colonies and isolate Earth," Quatre murmured.

Duo grinned. "So then it's settled? Let's eat! I'm starved!" 

Wufei snorted. "Well that's certainly not a surprise." 

…………………

"Do you still remember when I first met you?"

Usagi blinked. "Yeah, of course! Luna took an instant liking to you."

"Right. But before. I was so alone, intelligent to a point where people kept away from me. But you approached me and befriended me." Ami was looking down and smiling gently to herself. "I remember being so … so _happy_." Ami paused to frown to herself, wondering if Usagi's simplistic vocabulary was rubbing off on her. "And because you saved me that time, I promise to protect you through this, Usagi. I promise to give my all to make sure you're okay."

Usagi's lips were parted as she stared at Ami. The beaming, she shook her head. "No, it's my turn to protect _you_, Ami. After all, I _am_ Sailor Moon." [4]

…………………

The turning point for Usagi's character. :D But nothing much happened … and I have no idea what to do next. xD;;; [usually I write outlines but this one … I'm being lazy. xD] I have the beginning, I know how the resolution will be [don't have the denouement] … but … but … how to get from point A to point B? Lol. They seem worlds away. xD;; Which is the challenge, I suppose. :D Hrmm … have to mull that over. x3 Thank you for reading! Yours, Angel.

**Notes:**

1. Tokyo's sex industry – I heard this over the radio it amused me. xD;; Because I semi-understand it. xD

2. Armageddon – the first attempt to "purge" Earth of evil was the Flood, with Noah's Arc and everything. It is prophesied that the second "purge", Armageddon, would come as fire instead of water. And Mamoru saw "blue fire" before all those people disappeared! See? Lol. xD;;

3. Bandage over Luna's crescent mark – I have vague memories of hearing that covering Luna's "bald spot" would make her unable to speak and would limit her powers. O.o;;

4. The entire last scene with Ami saying that Usagi saved her, etc – inspired by **Gackt-san's** review. :D

**Shi no Tenshi, Neko no Tenshi:** Thank you so much! :D

**Lady in Red1:** Yup, Hiiro heard. :D You're hyper when you're sick? O.O;;; I always feel like hibernating when I'm sick. xD;; Have you posted your new idea yet? :D

**JoWashington****:** Ami and Usagi my favorites? Hrmmm … my favoritism tends to swing. xD;; But I guess usually I feel most comfortable writing about/squealing over [lol] Usagi , Minako, Ami, and Hotaru. Mainly because I feel like I don't know Rei and Makoto that well [their character traits] and because I never watched far enough into Sailor Moon to get to know Haruka and Michiru well. xD;; But yes. ^^; Wow, I wish my friends liked anime that much … xD They all think I'm insane. ^^;

**Twiggirl06:** Lol. xD;; Thank you. :D

**Ashika****:** Lol. And, yes, not that you can complain. xDxD;; Kidding, kidding. But you should write and post more. :D …for me? Lol. 

**Dark Universe:** Heh heh, you sound so chipper. xD;; Thank you. :DDD

**Tenshi-Chikyuu****:** Lol. And at the moment I don't have any answers. xD;; Thank you though; I'm veryvery flattered. :3

**Sailor Grape:** Lol. True, true, the press conference was superfluous but I have a tendency to think that in "modern" society [xD] with the press being so powerful and the masses so … [what's the word?] legal-minded [?], the remaining people would demand to have something definite. Straight from the horse's mouth. xD;; Evidence in court. :D Duo … hrm … I wanted to make him cruel. xD;; But with justification, of course. ^^; But I have yet to determine what that justification is. --; And I've always liked to think of Trowa as the quiet "intellectual" of the group. xDxD;; The guy that knows his literature, is super good at analysis, etc. :D So, strangely, I actually tend to have Trowa dominate conversations discussing strategy, etc. xD;;

**PerfectSoldierGirl**: Thankyouthankyou for the comments on Usagi's character. xD;; I was riding in the car and thinking about what you said [yes, anime dominates my life. xD;;] and because of that, I ended up with the last scene [with the "I am Sailor Moon" statement]. It was my first lead [along with Gackt-san's comments] into this chapter [which, up until awhile ago, was uncharted territory ^^;] and because of it, this entire chapter formed itself. xD;; Thank you so much! :D

**Life in Hell:** Lol. I'm striving for it. xD;; 

**Poppy-chan:** O.O;; That's a cute name. xDxD;; But I think that the _instant_ some [even remotely likely] scapegoat is found for a disaster of this magnitude [with so much of Earth's urban population disappearing], people will start pointing fingers. xDxD;; I think there'd be mass paranoia. And they're not only blaming Ami and Usagi … they're also blaming the colonies. Lol. In fact, in a way, they're blaming everybody who they don't know. ^^; Because there's mass panic. But that's the general idea I had. xD;;

**Datajana**: Lol … he was sleeping? xDxD;; And then had to rewind and listen to the tape. ^^; I think … [my poor, made up excuse. xD;;]

**LiLSeReNiTiE****:** Lol. That was kind of you. ^^; Not demanding for updates. Whew! Such a relief. :D

**Tenshi-Hotaru****:** I meant to show that Hiiro had been listening to them the whole time. ^^; And technically, we still don't know whether or not any of the g-boys believe completely that Ami and Usagi are the villains. :D Ahh … that thought, surprisingly, gives me a warm, tingly feeling. xD;; Call me strange. ^^;

**Heero's**** Bunny:** Lol. You remind me of somebody I know. ^^; 

**Gackt**** Camui is cold ;-;:** Lol. :D Your name is so versatile. xDxD;; I love it. :D And only people in most of the urban concentrations of Earth disappeared. ^^; So yup, reporters are still there, some cities are still there, rural areas are still there, colonies are still there. :3 Urk … ok … forget I said all that! xDxD;; [you told me to not answer ^^;] Nope, I haven't seen that episode of SM and I don't watch Reba … lol. I live under a rock. xDxD;; But the Ami description helped me a lot. :D With coming up with this chapter. xD;; And PGSM! [I wanna see! O.o;;] I have to agree that the "being alone" concept makes me nostalgic too. ^^; Picking Harbin, China … I actually did because I had some background knowledge on it but … I  haven't planned enough to have it have any significant meaning … but I can _force_ meaning into it … muahaha. Lol. Nope, haven't seen/read Please Save My Earth [oh gosh, I really do live under a rock! ;-;] Lol and the Naruto craze has ebbed a bit. ^^; But I still recommend it~ ^^; Though, the thing with manga vs. anime applies also. :D And I doubt I'd survive in the professional writing world. x3 It'd be awesome if you wrote a Hiiro/Usagi essay. :DDD Consider it? :D 


	4. Fraternizing

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

It's supposed to be funny. So laugh. Yeah, you'd better. xD Kidding. :D Enjoy … to the best of your ability.

…………………

**_Chapter 3: Fraternizing_**

_Angelight_

…………………

"I am Sailor Moon." Such brave words she'd uttered last night without a second thought, just to see Ami's face break out into that sunny smile in the middle of their tower of ice. (1)

Ami probably had no idea how much she had been quailing inside. On a normal day, Usagi's thoughts would have then diverged to something to the effect of _and quail eggs are _so_ cute like ping pong balls and-_

But, of course, it was not a normal day. Today, Ami and she had been granted all the freedoms they'd hoped for, but, as the Preventer who'd insisted that they call him Duo put it, what the hell was the use?

Go frolic in the gardens, if you will, Duo had laughed. Either way, there was nobody outside, nobody else in this province called HeiLongJiang – what few people had been left after the purging (as the five Preventers now termed it) had fled to the south before there was time to think let alone set up barbed wire. So China's northeastern province's population at that moment was, abysmally, nine, give or take two.

And if she or Ami attempted to approach one of the populated cities, what're the chances that they'd be let in? What were the chances of their making it a hundred yards to the barriers before the citizens aimed and fired? At this moment, it didn't matter if they were adult or child, man or woman – it didn't even matter if they were Christ incarnate – there was no way they could get into Chicago, to Tripoli, to Bombay—

"It's too cold to be outside," Ami sighed. "If it weren't, it'd be good to get some fresh air. Clear our heads a bit." She paced a bit around the room to the measured beat of Usagi's silence and then sat in the only chair available, blurting out, "Setsuna isn't available. I can't contact her." (2)

Relief dawned on Ami's face as if just telling the horrible news made it a little less brutal but guilt overcame it and she blushed. "I'm sorry for telling you. I'd promised myself I wouldn't until I had to."

"It's something I need to know," Usagi replied simply. The news didn't change anything – they were still stuck at the bottom of the ravine with glass cliffs on either side with voices too frail to call for help. "I just hope they're all all right. Everybody. I hope they're not suffering or … or-" her voice cracked a little "that they _hadn't_ suffered."

Ami bit her lip and looked out the window. "Surely we'd have felt something if they'd felt great pain."

"I can't be too sure," Usagi murmured but forced a smile upon her face. "But I believe you! We _are_ that closely connected."

A curt knock resounded in the room and both turned, startled, to eye the door with sudden malice. "Lunchtime, ladies!" Duo's cheery voice seeped in through the cracks as he opened the door, peeked in and smiled at their wan faces. "We're having lasagna."

Ami glanced at Usagi and giggled at the love-struck look on her face, waiting for the inevitable three words followed by a mad dash to the dining room.

"I _love_ lasagna!"

"Woah!" Duo stumbled back quickly to let the blonde sprint out of the room. He shot a reproachful look after her before dusting himself off and turned to grimace at Ami. "_I_ don't see how she could hurt a fly. Unless she was so hungry she ate it."

…………………

Usagi was on her second plate by the time Ami and Duo made it to the kitchen. Quatre had tentatively sat down opposite the blonde and was trying his hardest not to stare while gazing miserably at his own lasagna, having lost all appetite. Trowa and Hiiro had already moved into the living room and Wufei was beside Quatre as if offering emotional support, gazing at Usagi with a mixture of disgust, awe, and fear.

"Mmph this imph reaimmph guttph!" Usagi mumbled to Quatre between bites. He smiled waveringly at her compliments and, after five minutes of indecision, sighed and moved his plate toward her.

"Here. Have mine, too."

Usagi stopped midbite and stared at him. Her eyes started to water, and she sniffled a little before nodding gratefully and shooting a hopeful glance at Wufei's untouched plate. The Chinese heaved a sigh and grudgingly moved it toward her also.

Ami sighed and took another bite; Quatre and Wufei had just founded the shortest route to Usagi's heart. She giggled a little to herself. Usagi could be such a puppy sometime – all one had to do was feed her, bathe her, and occasionally pet her before one had in her a friend for life.

Quatre looked up, met her eyes, and managed a smile at the sound of Ami's suppressed chuckle. In the minute it'd taken him to surrender his food and smile at Ami, Usagi had finished eating and was patting her mouth gently with ironic civility. Duo peered into the kitchen as if expecting to see carnage and seemed to have had his hopes fulfilled at the sight of Wufei's vastly annoyed expression.

"So we got off to a bad start," Duo started, carefully choosing the seat next to Ami and edging it closer to her, twisting his body so that as his head rested on his left hand, he stared up at Ami's startled expression. "Do they call you Angel or Seraph where you come fr-ow!" The braided man sat up and rounded on his aggressor. "Damn it, Wufei, just because you can't get a girl if your mother's life depended on it, you can't steal mine! Besides," he grinned, swinging an arm around Ami who reflexively cringed, "she's an endangered species. One of the only two to survive. You can't have her."

Usagi and Ami gaped simultaneously. As Ami tried to shoulder away Duo's arm, which seemed to have gotten particularly attached to her, Usagi leaned toward Duo on the table and with plump hearts in her eyes murmured, "Will you marry me?" Her subconscious stirred faintly in the background and kicked her. _Earth to Usagi! Does the name Mamo-chan ring a ding-a-ling? _The blonde jerked up and blushed, yelping, "Just kidding! I'm a married woman already." At her audience's raised eyebrows, she shrugged. "Well, sort of."

"See? Ultra-rare. The only _single_ girl to survive." Duo shot Ami a sly look as if daring her to deny it. "Which means, until we force our way into a city or leave earth, she's our only available female companion." Quatre colored himself burgundy.

Then, turning to whisper audibly in Ami's ear, Duo sighed, "Can you handle it? Do you think you can satisfy five men for a couple of months?" Ami reflexively slapped him.

Usagi thought a moment and then frowned. "Hey, wait a minute … what am I then? I'm also a girl!"

"Well, see, you're taken." Duo made a face. "That makes you more of an … it."

Usagi thought a little more before pouting. "But I'm a she."

"Are you willing to renounce your boyfriend – er – husband for this stay with us? Because there's always room for more…"

Usagi's eyes widened to the size of hot air balloons. "Renounce Mamo-chan? Never!"

Duo sighed and turned back to Ami who had moved her chair until it was about three feet from him during his distraction. He pulled his after her, hobbling a little, and jabbed a finger at Usagi. "So, what is its name?"

The blonde's lower lip started trembling. Ami sighed and shot Duo an exasperated look; she knew what was coming next. Three. Two. One—

"DUO! _You're so mean to meee!_" Her words dissolved to ambiguous blubbering.

Quatre shot Duo a mortified look and moved to grab tissues. Wufei gave all three one last disgusted look and, rubbing his temples, left for the living room to join saner people.

The blond Preventer handed a wad of Kleenex to Duo and eyed him expectantly. He sighed and leaned over the table to a still whimpering Usagi. "Man, dumpling, do you have an off button?" Usagi whimpered louder, and Duo admitted defeat. "Hey there, cutie, don't cry."

She sniffled and turned teary, big, blue eyes to him. "You think I'm cute?"

"Only when you're not crying, muffin."

She accepted his offer and sniffled some more.

"All right. No more teasing, Duo."

The braided man heaved a sigh and sat down. "I was just trying to make 'em feel at home. Didn't the air feel lighter for a moment back there?"

"I suppose." Quatre narrowed his eyes. "Though I don't think you had such good intentions."

…………………

They spent about four more days in Harbin before Quatre announced that Lady Une had insisted that they move a couple of cities down to Shanghai. Shanghai was still safe.

To avoid suspicion, Hiiro decided it was better to drive than fly so the seven piled into two sedans and headed south.

"Are we there yet?" Usagi pulled herself up until her head stuck out between the two front seats.

Hiiro stifled a growl and, without turning his head, pushed her back into place by the face. Usagi stifled the urge to bite his hand off.

Duo chuckled a little and, rolling his window down a little, winked at Ami's reflection in the side view mirror. "Don't worry, cream puff. We'll be there before you know it."

"Shut the Goddamn window, Duo." Hiiro scowled in the rearview mirror and turned the heat up a notch.

Duo cackled and shot Hiiro a smug look. "Aww, is wittle Hiiwo afwaid of a wittle cold?"

The braided man yelped as Hiiro floored the gas pedal and they accelerated to 120 miles per hour, heading straight for a sharp dip in the road. "Okay, okay! I'm closing the window! I'm closing it!"

"Who's afraid of the cold?" Hiiro shouted over the sound of icy wind rushing in through Duo's window.

"I am! I am!"

Hiiro stomped on the brake and drove over the dip at twenty miles per hour. Duo sighed and rolled the window up before pressing both hands to his face as if checking if it were still there. "If I get frostbite, Hiiro, it's your fault."

"If you get frostbite I'll never hear the end of it."

Duo smiled complacently and twisted around to glance at the two passengers in the back.

"You two all right?"

Usagi looked close to tears and Ami was visibly shaken. "I wish we'd gone with Quatre," the blonde chattered, hands rubbing her arms furiously to generate more heat.

Duo turned back and nudged his companion. "Y'hear that, Hiiro? They wish they'd gone with Quatre."

The other man grunted and reached his left hand over to push Duo's away. "I wish I'd gone with Quatre, too."

…………………

Buildings soon began to dot the horizon as they neared Shanghai. The air seemed to get grayer and the sun dimmer due to pollution and whatnot in the atmosphere but aside from that, Ami thought it was rather nice to be getting back to civilization even if she didn't know enough Chinese to order a cup of water.

"I wonder if Shanghai has seen photos of the two girls who survived," Duo mused, a small smile melting his features. "You think they'll be happy to see you two?"

Hiiro swerved to miss a pile of debris in the middle of the road and turned to shoot Duo a warning look. "Don't taunt them. It pollutes the atmosphere."

Duo rolled his eyes. "What do _you_ know about atmosphere?"

Usagi cleared her throat and poked her head back up front between the two seats. "Um, Mister, I don't know much but aren't you supposed to be driving on one side or the other of that white line instead of riding on top of it?"

Hiiro scowled and shoved her back. "Who's driving the car, you or me?"

"You are, sir," she squeaked.

"Keep that in mind."

Duo bit back a snicker and turned to wink at Ami. "Your friend is cute."

Hiiro pulled up to the hastily erected booth right at the city limits and rolled the window down. The man inside peered at him and lazily waved him by. The booth, somewhat extemporaneous and reminiscent of a portable bathroom, swayed a little as a gust of wind swept through the air. The man inside didn't pay it any attention.

"That was easy," Ami mused as they accelerated again on the nearly deserted highway.

"Shanghai is still an open city. Besides, we look like foreigners. They think we aren't smart enough to do anything dangerous." Duo shrugged, a droll look painting his expression a shade of cynicism and slyness. "And we're rich. The car speaks loudly."

Ami glanced around the interior of the Jaguar and had to agree.

"What Duo means to say is that Quatre has come through here already," Hiiro corrected with a steely kind of terseness; five hours ago they'd been tailing the blonde but between then and now, they had stopped twice because Duo and Usagi were hungry and once because Hiiro couldn't stand being in the same car as the aforementioned two anymore. "Quatre is an eminent man in Shanghai. He owns as much as fifteen percent of the city's economy."

Ami looked impressed; Duo looked dour.

"We're headed for one of Quatre's hotels but we're only taking up three rooms so everybody has to room with another person with one room of three," Hiiro droned. Duo brightened.

"I'll gladly share a room with you two ladies."

"Be quiet. You're with Trowa and Wufei."

Duo looked aghast. "I'm with _Trowa_ and Wufei! Shouldn't I be with _Quatre_ and Wufei? I can't tolerate both Trowa and Wufei at the same time!"

Hiiro shrugged and skidded to an abrupt stop behind a taxi. "Try hard."

"Why is Quatre with you?" Duo's voice adopted a strange whining melody.

"He needs peace and quiet. He's our resident diplomat."

"So? I can be quiet!"

Hiiro sighed. "Only if you're dead."

Duo made a face. "I'm quiet when I'm sleeping."

From Usagi's vantage point in the back, Hiiro seemed to pale a little. "No, trust me, you're not," he ground out. "We're here."

"Why can't I room with you? Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei can be together. That works, right?" They stepped out of the car and Duo followed Hiiro closely, chattering with indignation like a wet parakeet. "Right, Hiiro? That works, right?"

Hiiro whirled around and stopped short. Duo walked into him and backed away to shoot him a miffed look. "I'm not rooming with you. You're an utter slob."

"How so?" Duo demanded.

Hiiro narrowed his eyes. "Last time I found your underwear in the shower."

Comprehension dawned on Duo's face. "Oh, so that's why you didn't shower that night."

Usagi bit her lip; it felt as if storm clouds were gathering around the two men. "Duo can room with us if he really wants to," she offered a bit timidly. Ami looked horrified. If that were to happen, she'd sleep in the bathroom with the door locked.

Hiiro looked up, their eyes snagging on each other. "No, trust me. You don't want him to room with you."

The American sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Fine. I guess I'll be sharing a bed with Trowa. Wufei can sleep on the floor."

"We'll see what Wufei has to say about that," Hiiro retorted quietly, following Duo's slow steps up into the hotel. Usagi glanced questioningly at Ami who shrugged and followed them.

…………………

A much lighter chapter but one that I felt was necessary in order to break the ice. Up until this chapter, I'd felt constrained by not only the gravity of this fic and the wall of formality between five strangers and our two senshi. But now … all is much better. xD And this chapter was actually quite long. I tried to insert something useful in it but I didn't really succeed. Why're they going to Shanghai? I don't know. I just wanted them to be around people again. --; So now the inevitable question is … do you still remember this fic? xD Thanks bunches for reading! Yours, Ange-.

**Notes:**

_1. Such brave words she'd uttered last night without a second thought, just to see Ami's face break out into that sunny smile in the middle of their tower of ice_ – Reference to the name of Quatre's Harbin mansion – Bing Ta or ice tower.

_2. "Setsuna isn't available. I can't contact her."_ – This point was brought up by angelwings6117. Credit is due. :D

**Replying…**

**BookReader2007:** Thanks bunches. xD Sorry you had to wait so long. --;

**MoonlightPrincess** I can please update … I just can't please update soon. --; Sorry for the wait. ;;

**Bichan** Lol, was it not worth it to continue? ;; I'll go upstairs and kill myself now.

**Suisei**** no Mitsukai:** For once, I actually do have an answer to that question. I just can't tell you it. xD Thanks much for compliments:O I'm not worthy. --;

**Zanrui** If anybody should apologize, it'd be me. ;; For being ultra-lazy. And I like Duo's personality too. xD He's himself and yet he is not so innocent … he's rather cruel, actually. It's strange that it's Hiiro keeping him in check though in light of the GW episodes, it almost seems more plausible. --; I'm so proud that this served as inspiration. xD My baby. Lol. Anyhow … you made me feel a lot better about this fic. :D You are my sunshine…my only sunshine…etc, etc, etc. xD

**BLACKAURAsama** Lol, I think I was more enamored with Ami when I was planning this (which was like … 2 years ago) but well she won't be dying. Unless this story changes a lot a lot a lot. I can see how Thailand might have the most active sex industry. --; I don't know, lol, I just heard the Tokyo thing once on the radio. xD Very reliable source, y'know. :)

**Tenshi-Kaikou** Man, am I familiar with that feeling. xD Thanks for taking the time anyhow. :D

**Sylverkaze** It might not seem like it, but I will always continue. Unless I delete this fic entirely, lol. That means I'm not continuing. xD

**Tsumaki-chan** Thanks! Updated:D

**Aznchibidragon88:** Lol, a lot of people just lurk. --; It's become painfully obvious ever since started the hit counter thing for us common folk. --; And … quote girl? O.o;

**Queen luvBunny:** I think I love you. xD

**JoWashington** Lol, they will more or less put it all together. I don't know if they'll make it in time though … still figuring that part out. --; Catsy, huh? That's interesting … one snag though – they'd seen a man in the blue fire. Or was it a man? I don't think you can mistake Catsy's hair for a man … and they _did_ hear him speak … so he sounded like a man at least. Lol.

**Tangled Junky:** Trigun. ;; It's been so long. xD Since updated and since I'd last seen Trigun, lol.

**Renangel** Hmm, that is an idea. xD The Great Freeze business. But I already have a cause and it's rather integral to the storyline. --; The rest of the senshi have disappeared, to our knowledge. :D

**Ladee**** in Red:** No, this isn't going to be a religious fic though yes I do allude to it a lot. xD The cause is not religious or else I'd've mentioned it in the summary. xD Because that'd be a rather key factor in the story, lol. Anyhow … keep guessing:D

**Datajana** I think that was also semi-inspired by Trigun. xD I can't remember why this one town closed itself off but it did. --; To children, no less. --; And thanks for the reassurance. :D

**Usagi ****Asia**** Maxwell:** Maybe never. ;; If I ever get there, I'll tell you. xD

**Angelwings6117:** I used your suggestion. xD But I invalidated it. After all, we can't make this too easy for them, hmm? And it adds another mystery – where the heck is Setsuna? ..

**HikariUsa**** Yui:** Thank you much. ;;

**Sailor Grape:** Hm … no answer to the Hiiro question yet … I wonder … well that gives me fuel for the next chapter at least. xD He's certainly good at hiding his knowledge, huh? xD Has he told anybody? Well, that's up for debate. We'll see. :D And yes it's frustrating. ;; I wish you much luck. But for the moment I've just been taking small steps. Very small steps. xD

**_Critiquing is the name of the game. Let's play. :D_**


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